Why moving to New Zealand is a great idea for IT techs

Is the US election results getting you down? Brexit making you nervous? Stop prepping the bunker for doomsday and start planning your happy future in New Zealand.

New Zealand is trending as a dream destination for many international job seekers.

It offers an intoxicating combination of incredible nature, friendly people, a high-quality First World lifestyle and a vibrant economy. Not to mention the food, the coffee and a rugby team that always make you proud.

We take a closer look at the sugar that will sweeten the deal for IT techs thinking of moving to our shores.

Growth outstrips talent

We are a small country, only about 4.4 million people but we have a booming IT sector. Latest figures from the NZ Tech Digital Nation Report show that the ICT sector’s contribution to New Zealand’s GDP growth has been higher than any other OECD country from 2001 to 2013 – and like the Rolling Stones, it is not showing any signs of slowing down.

In fact, the tech sector in New Zealand is growing at such a rapid pace that it is currently creating more jobs than there are trained people to fill them. So if you have the skills, we have the jobs.

Diversity, our secret sauce

We are a diverse bunch that likes to think differently and our tech sector reflects this – from building rockets to developing 3D animation software for James Cameron’s Avatar movies, the New Zealand tech sector has something for everyone.

Not only do we embrace all this diversity, we do often do it better than anybody else. Our technology companies are leaders in a variety of fields – from disruptive accounting software to building robotic suits to developing software that helps school kids learn new languages. And don’t get us started on the Hobbits.

High income potential

Yes, the best things in life are free, but money is still pretty useful. Working in IT over here offers the perk of a high-earning career and you don’t have to work for 20 years to get there.

The national median salary in New Zealand was $45,864 in 2015 and the latest median base salary for IT techs is $82,000. If you have more than 10 years’ experience, the median salary jumps to $100,000. Ka-ching!

Balance to the force

Want to have a life again – where work and play can co-exist without muttering the words ‘burn out’? There is one thing that all kiwis take very seriously in New Zealand – the mantra ‘work/life/balance’.

It comes as no surprise then that flexible working conditions are a key non-financial benefit for IT employees. Do not fret if you are encouraged to work from home when your kids are sick or if working overtime is frowned upon, it is not a trick. That is just the way we roll, family life is important over here.

World class lifestyle

Recently, New Zealand was rated as the world’s best place to live, ahead of Norway, Finland and Switzerland. Researchers at the Legatum Institute think tank ranked New Zealand the highest and took into account wellbeing measures such as freedom, health, social ties, business opportunities, governance, nature, education and security.

This is no surprise to us, we know we have it good and we consistently score in the top 10 countries for quality of living surveys. Our major cities score well too, Auckland was rated by global consultancy Mercer as the third best city in the world for quality of living and Wellington came in at number 12.